Over the river and thru the woods to Grandmother's house we go! We don't have a horse, but the Nissan will get us thru the drifting snow for sure! Enjoy the holiday with your families and friends and stay warm (this happens to be the coziest thing I have ever seen). Happy.... Whatever! See you next week!

I was helping my sister shop for a fabulous dress last week when I found this. Wouldn't it be fabulous for a casual wedding? I love the pleat detailing.
In other news, we had a smashing weekend with our friends from Brooklyn. They only meant to stay one night on their way home to Vermont for Christmas, but got snowed in and couldn't leave. It was fantastic. Thanks, Mother Nature!
See below for more short dress fabulosity, this time with 100% more feathers! Equally as wonderful, perhaps for a more flamboyant affair. Both from Nordstrom's.

Leah C, queen of New York millinery is having a big sale today thru Saturday if you are in the area and have a minute to pop by. Veils, hair accessories and hats are all less than $100, so you could get an amazing deal! You might even find something smashing to wear New Year's Eve!

Yup. In a world where a white gown from J. Crew can cost $2200 and "call for pricing" means "If you have to ask, you can't afford it", it's refreshing to see gowns under $1000 with so much style and grace. I'm a sucker for those Grecian inspired details. From Saja, here for the details.

Nothing brings a Monday to life like the discovery of a whole new genre of wedding accessory. For those seeking an opulent, glam-punk, ultra-feminine vibe, behold the cuff! I love the vaguely 80's flavor of this one in particular, but Boutique Bonheur's other pieces range from dainty antique lace fit for a Czarina to highly detailed, embroidered works of art that would be right at home on the wrists of Marie Antoinette.
* Edit: I've entered this post in the 2009 Independent Design Blog-off. All you bloggers, check the link for deets!

Christmas shipping (not shopping, shipping)! Arg. I'm signing off for the week to go battle it out at the Post Office to get my presents to Cananda ahead of Santa.
In the mean time, wouldn't these make adorable favors? From Alliebeans.

These really jumped off the Etsy page this morning! I can imagine passing one of these handmade silver and bronze hair combs thru the generations, they seem that well made. I love the simple silver leaves, they'd be perfect for all those woodland themed weddings everyone seems to be planning! Handmade in New Orleans by Monique Leon of Gurly Girl.

It snowed here over the weekend and put everyone in a festive holiday mood. We got our Christmas tree and decorated the house - something we have never really done before, but wanted to this year to make Niko's first Christmas special. Now the whole house smells like an evergreen, and I'm thinking of doing even more decorating because I'm so pleased with how the first round changed the mood in the house! This snowflake curtain project from Bugs and Fishes is calling my name! I also thought this would be an amazing project for a crafty winter bride, imagine this times 10 hanging in a larger window or an open space... pretty!

Oh, they've really done it this time! J. Crew's Spring Wedding Lookbook has me wishing I could do it all over again. None of the above or below are available yet, but you can pre-order! I'm in LOVE with the one shouldered one, l-o-v-e.

I was a little surprised to run across Carol Hannah this morning on my daily stroll thru the Etsy Wedding section. A little piece of primetime pop-culture, right there... just like any other listing. I clicked on the dress before I realized who's work it was, but sure enough, it's THE Carol Hannah of Project Runway. I guess it speaks highly of her work that I would be drawn to it even without knowing who made it. I love the flouncy details and the construction looks amazing. Her wedding gowns are priced a little out of my league, but her bridesmaid's dresses are very reasonable not to mention different and I'm willing to bet, very flattering.

I'm back. Phew. I hope everyone had an awesome holiday! I enjoyed turkey and all the fixin's in Connecticut this year. Niko was lucky enough to spend some time with BOTH of his great-grandmothers, and I was lucky enough to have two aunties, two grandparents and a partridge and a pear tree to help me look after the little squeaker. We had a wonderful time!
First off this week are some beautiful, vintage inspired bridesmaid's dresses from Quail. They specialize in custom colors and fashion forward dresses (sounds good to me!). I love the ruffled top "Peony Dress", especially on a group of slender chicks... tres chic!

Thankful for a healthy baby.
Thankful that one of the new designs I just got back from the printer looks awesome (I tried something new and was sweatin it a little).
Thankful for everyone who has offered to help us with dishes, dinner, laundry and life in the last 2 months.
Thankful for the people who read my blog :)
Thankful for my family, all of them (Law's and in-Law's)
Thankful for the 7 un-interrupted hours of sleep I got last night. Glory, Hallelujah.

Anyone else care to share?

I hope everyone had a great weekend and is looking forward to a week of extravagant eating! I'm in charge of the squash, the corn, and an appetizer at our family dinner. If anyone has any great recipes, let me know! Niko slept like a champion last night, so I just might have the energy to tackle some serious cooking this week. If however, you're lacking in the sleep, energy or money department, check out these fun cake shortcuts! I spotted these over at Amy Atlas's blog, Sweet Designs. You apply the decals to plain icing, and wha la!, instant designer cake! They're entirely edible... very sweet indeed! From Ticings.

The most fantastic idea for an outdoorsy-type wedding favor. S'mores kits. Yup. Can't believe I've never seen this before. From Twig and Thistle.

I ran across the work of Michelle Doll in New York Magazine's Wedding edition, come to find out, she's based right out of my old neighborhood! I love the modern geometric shapes mixed with three dimensional sugar flowers.

I don't know if you caught design*sponge on Friday, but Grace's new segment called "beyond the big day" debuted with some wonderful images of a Spirograph (remember those?) inspired wedding/party set up. Don't miss it.

New from J. Crew: The Streamer Dress. I love the minute ruffles, they give the dress such a great texture! J. Crew always surprises me with their willingness to experiment with new things!
Have a great weekend everyone!

I love this dress! How cute would this be in white for a honeymoon get-away outfit, or a rehearsal dinner? The collar is my favorite part. Available in a bunch of great colors - making it a no brainer for bridesmaids too! From Amanda Archer.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Niko slept for 6.5 hours straight last night! Not a peep out of him. This might not sound like a big deal to you, but for me, HUGE. We are hoping this trend continues so that we can be humans again and sleep for more than 2.5 hours at a time. Yay for small victories!
In other news, check out this adorable paper cut! My sister sent me a link last Friday, and I thought it would be a perfect wedding present (for you or from you, whichever). From Made by Julene.

Happy Friday everyone! I'm elbow deep in ribbon this afternoon, so I thought I'd post a great source for trimmings and such. Nice Package (don't you love the name?) sells gift tags, twine, ribbon, pendants, and all sorts of creative paraphenalia for making... a nice package! Check them out and have a great weekend!

My friend Deirdre sent me a link to the amazing shawls and shrugs over at Louise Broad. I love the petals, they make everything looks so soft and romantic!

I saw these on Design Sponge yesterday, and couldn't resist. Wouldn't this be an amazing wedding gift? Customized, graphically awesome family trees from My Tree and Me, sure beats those scotch-taped computer print-outs I have stuffed in an album in the basement.

Gorgeous, creative calligraphy from Primele. I love the details, it's all about the details!

Bold statements of love... from Bold and Noble.

Don't you love the distressed look of these? All from Vivi Reborn. I've got my eye on that bracelet, although I would actually have to wear something that's not yoga pants in order to pull it off.
Off to get Halloween candy for our trick-or-treaters!

Taxes? Done! New pattern? Finished! Sleepin baby? Check!
Next I have to find a wedding/housewarming gift for my good friend who's getting married this fall... I love the embroidered goodies from September House (via Decor8) and I think I might just go for one of those adorable monograms. Last on the list is grocery shopping and vacuuming. Confession: I haven't vacuumed since the baby was born.

Thanks to everyone for your patience this past week. Life with a newborn has proven to be quite unpredictable and keeping up with the feedings, the blog, the job, the housework... it's tricky. Everyday I have been trying to make a list of things that MUST get done, and at least complete those - but even then it's like trying to hit a moving target because I never know when Niko is going to need my attention. The hubs is in charge of the baby today, so I have some good 2 hour chunks between feedings where I can get some serious stuff done. Yay! I'm working on some new designs for Kenzie Kate's 2010 collection and I'm doing my quarterly taxes. These two things are at the top and the bottom of my "Favorite Things To-Do" list, I'll let you guess which is which.
But before I do either, I have some adorable bobbies to share, from Petal Mix. I would wear any of these just to spice up an ordinary outfit any day of the week, but I can imagine them really rounding out a nice bridal shower ensemble or rehearsal dinner look. They've got that handmade, I'm-not-taking-myself-too-seriously thing going on, which I love.

I know, I've been missing. I'm sorry. The picture above says more than I ever could about why. I don't normally do photoshoots when my child is in distress, but he started to protest as I was taking his picture. Between the little guy having gas issues and work, I'm just barely keeping my head on straight. Do not despair, I will not be making a habit of this slacker schedule with the posting, I just have to get a nap and then... hlkdishfapoifwlasd... ooops sorry, I fell asleep whilst typing.

Love this! From Hattie Rex.

Congratulations to Ashleigh (commenter #24) for being picked at random as the lucky winner of a year long premium subscription to Wedding Jojo! Ashleigh - use the contact button on the right to contact me and claim your prize!

With so many couples choosing a bird or a woodland theme for their wedding, these bird bowls would make a great gift - for the couple or the bridal party. I love the lacy looking set. From Prince Design UK.

*I just closed comments on yesterday's post. Thanks to everyone who commented. I will announce the winner tomorrow! Good luck everyone!

I got an email from Parker over at Wedding Jojo today, offering a free year long membership for one of my readers. I don't normally do contests, but I was really impressed with the features and thoughtfulness of the design options offered on with their service. They offer a free option, but the features are limited, and you only really have one design template to choose from. If a wedding website is part of your plan, consider the more comprehensive plan - looks like they've thought of everything!
If you'd like to enter to win the free year-long premium membership at Wedding Jojo - just leave a comment below by noon (EST) tomorrow, and I will announce the winner (chosen at random) on Thursday.
Good luck!

Free-spirited calligraphy is my favorite. Don't get me wrong, there's a place in my heart for fussy script, but I just love the casual quality of the lettering by Neither Snow (as in "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.", I presume?). Via Oh Joy!
Have a great weekend everyone! Dell and I are celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary this weekend with my first real sushi dinner since finding out I was pregnant last January. I'm so looking forward to putting on pants with a lycra content of less than 80%, that do not come up to my boobs! Yay for regular-person pants, raw fish, and awesome husbands!

Ban.do Black Label. Candy for the eyes. Via Oh Joy!

Love this! The ferns, the button, all of it! From The Honeycomb.

Perhaps I'm the last to know, but I just discovered Spoonflower, an online custom fabric printer that allows anyone to print yards of fabric of their own design. As a pattern obsessed person, this is huge for me. I could literally spend the next 3 days doing nothing but making fabrics, printing swatches and ordering yardage. I have a stool in my entry way that desperately needs reupholstering, and have not been able to find suitable fabric. Spoonflower! I have patterns I love that I've created for wedding invitations, and have been dying to find alternate uses for them. Spoonflower! I'm sure more than a few of you might be interested in this for wedding decor. Think table cloths, flower girl dresses, DIY projects, centerpieces... the possibilities are endless. The fabric gets pretty pricey if you needs lots of yards, but if you want only a couple yards to create accents - the price is right!

I posted a few weeks back about popcorn at the reception, but check out this idea from Utterly Engaged... A popcorn bar! I love the champagne flutes, they make the ordinary popcorn seem like a true delicacy. Guests can experiment with all sorts of fun flavor combinations, and it would be quite inexpensive to set up all on your own!

Who says a gorgeous cake has to be big? These are some of my all-time favorites and they are itty-bitty! All from Sweet and Saucy Shop in Long Beach, CA.

It's just any other Monday for everyone else, but for me, it's like the first day of work at a new job. While the actual work I'm doing is the same, I have this little, squirmy bundled person to take with me (luckily, I work from home). What if he cries when the phone rings? What if I can't get my work finished? What if his diaper explodes while I'm on the phone with Martha Stewart? (ha. I wish I was on the phone with Martha Stewart) I am loaded with questions at this point, none of which I will know the answers to until I've jumped in and just DONE it. I am 10 days into mommyhood but in almost every way it still feels like the first day. I'm learning this new job on the fly, no training wheels!
Let's get the party started, shall we? I started my morning, as usual, with a little visit to Etsy. The lovely stylings of Icing 101 caught my eye, especially that gorgeous sash. What amazing way to accentuate a tiny waist! Sigh.... a tiny waist.

Things, as you can imagine, have been pretty crazy around here since last weekend. We are home from the hospital now, and Niko is doing very, very well. I'm pooped most of the time, but so happy to have him home and so lucky to have a bunch of my family members around to help. I'm slowly getting back to my work, a little piece at a time and it feels good to blog again!
I went on my first trip out without the baby this afternoon, and my sister and I saw the cutest little hair pins at this shop called Frog and Toad in Providence that I'm totally addicted to. When I got home, I was inspired to find more adorable hair pins to dress up my otherwise very plain hair-do. These delicateporcelain doves were my favorites of the search, from a little shop called Revisions. I just might get myself some as a little present, and if I'm going to have the hair pin, I might as well also have the necklace, no?

Niko Dell Sala was born on Friday, the 18th of September at 9:40 in the morning. He weighed 6.5 lbs, and was 19.5 inches long. He is healthy, and so am I. We are so happy!

Alison emailed me the other day asking about orange shoes, and I immediately thought of J. Crew's selection of colorful pumps. I thought someone else might be interested in these for fall, they'd be perfect under an ivory gown!

Still no baby! Now, please excuse me while I try and go about my day as if I weren't 6 days past due.
These beautiful antique monograms caught my eye, and I thought they'd make a really nice addition to a bouquet or a bridal hanky. If you were feeling crafty, that is...

I know this is a wedding blog. For wedding stuff. I know. But just for my own fun, I wanted to share a tour of our little nursery before the baby makes his entrance. I've worked on this space for so long and I just had to share it with you, you who are such a great, big part of my day. I couldn't resist! I promise, it's back to wedding stuff on Monday!


My Grandmother (Mem) helped with the curtains, and let us paint her awesome rocking chair. My husband and I made a lot of the artwork, with the exception of some Frank Stella paintings, a "Correlated History of Earth" poster from AMNH, three awesome birds by Mincing Mockingbird, and a few other odds and ends. I made the mobile from scraps of paper left over from Kenzie Kate. It doesn't really move as well as I'd like, but the baby's eye view is very colorful and I hope it can hold his attention for a few minutes at least!


My Mom made the baby's bedding, a heroic feat considering all she had to go by was a blurry picture and the skirt has to be adjustable to account for the adjustable crib. My sister made the quilt, another amazing feat. She spent so much time picking out the fabrics and it shows because the finished product just BELONGS in here.


During the hottest days of the summer I abandoned my TV and stayed cool by parking in front of the AC, making stuffed toys. Auggie the Owl, Fritz the Sock Monkey, Ginny the Cat, Rue the Kangaroo and Bob the Ann-Wood-Inspired Oriel are all made by yours truly... I had so much fun making these toys!
If anyone is curious about any of the other stuff, I'm happy to provide sources (chances are, if it's not from Ikea, I made it or I found it second hand). Thanks for indulging me, and have an awesome weekend!

How cute are these? What a cute idea for an anniversary gift or a wedding present! From Miniature Rhino, via Made by Girl.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! We have no baby yet, although today is our official due date. I'm on pins and needles! We spent the weekend painting Dell's office a dapper shade of navy and I baked a batch of Pear Vanilla cupcakes (so good!). If you are interested in the recipe, I amalgamated parts of a few recipes from this awesome website (Vanilla Cupcakes, Pear filling, and Vanilla Buttercream with Candied Pear for decoration), but everything I have tried from this blog has turned out fantastic. I have plans for a DIY manicure this afternoon and an idea for a new invitation I want to work on. In an effort to distract myself from being preoccupied with labor, I am getting a surprising amount of stuff done around here!

In the mean time, check out this amazing headband from Old Soul, New Heart (love the name). For a very reasonable price, one can acquire one of many, many adorable hair accessories. I would also like to point out that this model is a dead ringer for Christina Applegate. Just saying...

I love the pleated shape of these bags! They'd be adorable as bridesmaid's gifts for an informal, outdoor affair. From Gracey.